Album Notes

The songs of Rough are all about real issues in life. They tell the stories of life's contradictions... love and loss and hope and despair...through powerful acoustic guitar driven rock. Long Road is the debut CD for Rough, and a long road it was. After many years of being musically sedentary, something drew these guys together. Perhaps it was lyricist and sometimes percussionist, Dave Allis' overstuffed binder (actually a laptop computer these days) of poetic song lyrics. Or, maybe it was guitarist Bryan Olivier's return to playing after fifteen years and his new fascination with recording. Maybe it was lead vocalist and guitarist Scott Dodier's increasing addiction to the endless permutations of Sitka spruce, rosewood, mahogany, sepele, flamed maple, and ebony. Whatever it was, these three guys, with the help and support of long-time friend Kevin Burt came together and began writing and recording heartfelt, catchy songs that capture life's challenges. Fans of the band have said that the Long Road CD is "addictive" and that they like it more and more each time they listen to it. The band's songs have been compared in style and influence to the likes of The Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and Kid Rock...although most agree there is truly a unique sound happening here. The strong lead vocals of Scott, matched with the powerful acoustic guitar progressions and rich vocal harmonies throughout, make this a great debut record from this band.